Through March 3Cows, piggies, horses, sheep...it's the 50th anniversary of the immensely popular Salon de l'Agriculture at Paris Porte de Versailles. Open 9am-7pm, Friday March 1st until 11pm. Entry €13, students and kids under 13 are €6; free for kids under 6.

Through March 5During winter renovations, part of the Musée Rodin's gardens are closed; the good news is that you can visit the open sections for free during this time (okay, it's nomally only €1 to visit the gardens; but now you can put that money towards a warm drink in the garden café afterwards). Don't forget the opening hours of the gardens are: daily except Monday 10am-5pm (until sunset on Wednesdays when the museum stays oprn until 8:45pm).

March 14No one knows how to throw a party like the Parisian King of Nightlife, Nicolas Ullmann. And tonight he has gathered some of the city's best talent for a Rolling Stones tribute concert, "Swing at the Top: Rock & Roll Circus" tonight at La Machine de la Moulin Rouge (90 blvd de Clichy, 18th). Bands include Arthur H, Marshmallow, Hush Puppies, Hey Hey My My, Mustang, Didier Wampas and many others, followed by DJ tunes to get you dancing. Open 9pm-2am, tickets €15 in advance, €20 at the door.

Through March 17The Patinoire de Paris is a large ice skating rink in front of Hôtel de Ville. Free entry, €5 skate rental, gloves or mittens obligatory.

Through March 17The Grand Palais is hosting a private art book sale on their website, selling exposition catalogs, art history, modern and contemporary art books for up to 70% off their cover price. The site is in French only, but pretty easy to figure out.

March 18Enjoy a night of English-language poetry in Paris with resident expat poets Lisa Pasold, celebrating the launch of her new collection, Any Bright Horse, and Jennifer K. Dick, with her new book Circuits. This free event is taking place at the lovely home-gallery space "Chez Grace" (46 rue des Abbesses, 18th; 3rd floor). Email Jen for the door code:fragment78 (at) gmail (dot) com

March 20Hunt for treasures amongst the bric-à-brac with aperitif in hand from 4-7pm during the last Apéro-Vente d'Emmaüs-Défi before the closure of their location at 80 boulevard Jourdan, 14th (there's also a photo exposition and auction at the end of the evening). Free entry, bring your recycle bag for your goodies!

March 20-24Night Yourself! is the third annual celebration of Parisian nightlife with four nights of themed nightlife crawls through bars, concerts, and clubs. Wednesday is "Furious Night" (from Sex Pistols, rock and punk themed night), Thursday is "Spotless Night" (from Eternal Sunshine film, a night of romance and pop music), Friday is ""Electric Night" (digital arts and electronic music in all of its formats), Saturday is "Taki Night" (after the NYC graffiti "artist" Taki 183, a night of urban groove), and Sunday is "Night Your Day" (a tour of the city's alternative music shops, art galleries, folk boutiques and other family fun). The "before" parties take place each evening at La Rotonde (6-8 Place de la Bataille Stalingrad, 19th, M° Stalingrad).

March 21-23The Festival Pigalle presents a very naughty, "Bon chic, mauvais genre" weekend of "arty, sexy, dirty, and trendy" fun. From Bingo Night and the Gay Rodeo to nightlife tours of Pigalle's seedy side....all in French (how daring do you feel?). Check out the website for the entire program or pop by the Festival HQ each night from 4:30pm-midnight at the Villa Frochot (2 Rue Frochot, 9th).

March 22The American-born writer and former champion skateboarder Scott Bourne has spent the best part of the last decade in France, writing poetry and travel diaries. He's launching his novel "A Room with No Windows" at the Abbey Bookshop (29 rue de la Parchiminerie, 5th) tonight from 7pm.

March 22-24Think the French don't love tattoos? Think again! Almost 10% of the population have tattoos. Check out some of the best at the Mondial Tatouage, the largest French tattoo convention in France bringing together over 250 of the best local and international tattoo artists at 104CentQuatre (5 rue Curial, 19th, M° Riquet or Crimée). Open Friday-Saturday noon-11:30apm, Sunday 11am-7pm. Entry €30 (€25 on Sunday; €60 for a three-day pass). If you want to get a tattoo during the convention, be sure to schedule a RDV with the artist in advance!

March 23-25Get a glimpse into the rich artistic and cultural heritage of the gypsy people during this special "open house" of Tchiriclif: Centre Artistique Tzigane at the encampment of the Romanès Circus (42-44 blvd de Reims, 17th; at the corner of Rue de Courcelles, M° Porte de Champerret), with a daily market, round tables, shows and films on gypsy (tzigane) culture. The Romanès Circus show continues through May 1st, with a huge closing festival open to the public on April 30th.

March 23The eight new bells of Notre Dame Cathedral will ring for the first time today at 5pm, along with the historic 22-bell Emmanuel. Grab a seat in the bleachers outside the church (or anywhere in the surrounding square) to listen. There will be a big screen set up in front of the bleachers with a montage of the history of the bells of Notre Dame. Free entry. Expect a crowd!

March 28-April 1The illustrious salon, Art Paris Art Fair, brings together 120 international art galleries showcasing the latest artists under the vast glass atrium of the Grand Palais. This year's country of honor is Russia. Tickets €20.

Through March 30Interested in learning more about the world's greatest graffiti artists? See the works of Banksy, Space Invader, Shepard Fairey and others at the Au Delà du Street Art exposition at L'Adresse: Musée de la Poste (34 blvd Vaugirard, 15th) through the end of this month. Artists C215, L'Atlas, Ludo, Miss. Tic, Rero and Vhils created works just for the exhibit, while the others' wrks are shown in images, videos, and on "portable" mediums suh as posters, mail boxes, street signs, etc.Open Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, €5 entry.

Through April 7The very cool Gaïté Lyrique (3 bis Rue Papin, 3rd, M° Arts-et-Métiers) is hosting a new exposition, Arrrrgh! Monsters in Fashion, featuring "58 contemporary creators who, inspired by design, animation and sketches, use monster form and expression in their costume and clothing designs, from Alexander McQueen and Andrea Crews to Craig Green and Walter Van Beirendonck". Tickets available on their site, €7. Open daily except Monday from 2-8pm (until 6pm on Sunday, until 10pm on Tuesdays). There is a very cool boutique next door selling all sorts of geeky gadgetry, not to be missed!

Through April 20Everyone knows the best part of the Moulin Rouge show is the French CanCan. The rest is cheesy, touristy, overpriced...but now there's an alternative? If you're in Paris this spring, book a seat to this alternative show, The Spirit of the French CanCan at the historic Le Palace theatre, featuring a dance troupe that combines the best of the Cancan with modern nods to Bollywood, contemporary dance, and even breakdancing. Tickets €30-€45. See the English description here.

Through April 23Fans of the French novelist Honoré de Balzac won't want to miss a free guided tour (en français), "Traversez les Passages Parisiens avec Balzac". This 90-minute exploration of the historic covered passages of the 19th century that appeared in most of Balzac's writings starts from the Colonnes de Buren at the Palais Royal at 11am. Reserve your spot by calling 01-55-74-41-80 or by email at dac-reservationbalzac@paris.fr. (Other dates March 10, March 12, and April 23; check out the Maison de Balzac website for more themed walks of Balzac's Paris).

Through June 9Explore the origins of goth and fantasy at the latest exposition at the Musée d'Orsay, L'Ange du Bizarre: Dark Romanticism from Goya to Max Ernst. "...a vast swathe of artistic creation, which from the 1760s onwards exploited the shadows, excesses and irrational elements that lurked behind the apparent triumph of enlightened Reason. This world was created in the English Gothic novels of the late 18th century, a genre of literature that fascinated the public with its penchant for the mysterious and the macabre. The visual arts quickly followed suit: many painters, engravers and sculptors throughout Europe vied with the writers to create horrifying and grotesque worlds: Goya and Géricault presented us with the senseless atrocities of war and the horrifying shipwrecks of their time, Füssli and Delacroix gave substance to the ghosts, witches and devils of Milton, Shakespeare and Goethe, whereas C.D. Friedrich and Carl Blechen cast the viewer into enigmatic, gloomy landscapes, reflecting his fate." Entrance to the museum + exhibition is €12. Advance tickets online.

Through June 25thThey're back! I've written before about the fabulous Fills Monkey: Incredible Drum Show. Fills Monkey is made up of two French comedians, Yann Coste and Seb Rambaud, who somehow manage to mix humor with actual musical talent. These guys have come up with a hilarious “dueling drumsticks” show. Just when you think, “Okay, this is interesting, but how can they keep it up for an hour?” it gets better. Oh, I should mention they never once speak any actual words, so it’s perfect for those looking to go see a show in Paris without knowing any French. A word of warning: it’s in a “cave”, a French cellar. They give you ear plugs, but be forewarned it gets hot down there! Shows are scheduled through June, get tickets at FNAC or at the venue itself, Le Sentier des Halles (50 rue d’Aboukir, 2nd).